Method of refrigeration



Oct. ll, 1932. B. F. RANDEL.

METHOD'OF REFRIGERATION Filed Nov. 20. 1929 Patented Oct. 11, 1932 oFElcE Bo'roLxE MNDEL, or SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA METHOD F REFRIGERXATION Application led November 20, 1929. Serial No. 408,467.

My invention relates to refrigerating method andthe objects thereof are: First, to provide for the introduction of a liquefied refrigerating medium inert to a liquid medium into said liquid medium,y said liquid medium being under internal pressure sutficientl/ to cause the evaporation of the intro u oed liquefied refrigerating medium. forming spaces or volumes of vapor during its passage through said liquid, then causing diffusion of vapors of sa/id liquid into said spaces or .volumes of vaporized refri erating medlum, with the removal of heat; econd, to prov1de general circulation through ,l the apparatus by the means of a pump; Third, to devise a method of refrigeration Where the working pressures are comparatively low, permittlng low cost of manufacture and operation.

With these and other objects in view as Will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of a certain novel method to produce refrigeration and certain arrangement of parts in an apparatus to accomplish thls method of refrigeration ,as will hereinafter 20 be described in -detail andparticularly set forth in the appended claims, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawin and to the characters of reference thereon W ich form a part of this application in which:

Fig. l is a diagram illustrating the scientiic principles upon which my method of refrigeration is based, and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of arrangement of the apparatus in which my method of refrigeration is carried out.

In Fig. l, assume a vessel L connected at the upper end to a pumpthrough a pipeDf The lower end of this vessel is fitted with an inlet pipe C, the fluid entering through this pipe being controlled b'ya valve E. The vessel is filled with a liquid to level As an illustration, it is assumed that the liquid in vessel L is water and thatl the fluid entering through C is liquid pentane; Also, that the pump maintains a pressure at A of 3 pounds absolute or a vacuum of 23.81 inches of mercury.

It is assumedthat the pentane entering through valve E is under sufhcient pressure to retain'it in liquid form, and a 10 pounds low absolute pressure, vunder normal temperature, will be sufiicient to do so. It is seen that the pentane liquid entering into the water will form continuous drops at M, which, due to the lower specific gravity of pentane, will rise upwards through the water. It is assumed that theI pressure due to the height ofwater from the surface S to a point B plus the external .pressure at surfaces is sutlicient to keep., the drops of 50 pentane in liquid form until point B is reached, but that at this point B the pressure isso reduced as to cause the pentane liquid to expand and vaporize, forming gas bubbles. In the illustration, it is assumed @5 that F and G are drops of liquid pentane; at H Vaporization begins; at I this vaporization continues; at J and K are bubbles of pentane gas, gradually growing larger as they pass upwards through the water.

Now, since water and liquid pentane are mutually immiscible liquids, as long as the pentane remains in the liquid form water cannot enter into union with same. I-Iowever, as soon as this pentane begins to take vapor form, water will enter into the resultant bubble and will diiiuse in the form of water vapor into the space provided bythe vaporized pentane. There is no union of the two vapors, but a diffusion of one into .8.0,

the other, each filling the entire space.

Further, when the water vapor enters into the space provided by the' pentane bubble, it will enter as into an absolute vacuum, the liquid pentane containing no water and therefore, when expanding into vapor form, being absolutely devoid of water'vapors.

.The eiie'ct of this action will be double. First, removal of heat and reduction of temperatu're as a result of p into vapor form, and second, as a result of water vaporizing into a vacuum. Pent'ane Will vaporize at 3.34 pounds abs.' pressure and 32 degrees F., and similarly, water will vaporize into an absolute vacuum at 32de- 95 grees F.) The Vaporization of the pentane will`remove B. t. u., and the vaporization of the water, approximately 1000 B. t. u. per pound vaporized.

pentane expanding no If a lower temperature than 32 degrees F. 10

is desired, I substitute for the water a soluspace provided by the vaporized pentane.

And when ammonia vaporizes froma solution `of ammonia and water into an absolute vacuum, the resultant heat transfer is ap.-

proximately 800 B. t. u. per pound and with a possible temperature reduction'down to 40 degrees F. below zero.

In the above description, water and pentane liquids have been mentioned as mutually immiscible liquids. This statement is true from a practical standpoint only, as al very small percentage of pentane liquid will be absorbed in the water. This fact, however, does not materially affect the operation of my method, and I may employ in this method liquids which are miscible in'all proportions.

In Fig.`2, I illustrate one form in which the apparatus for carrying out my' method of refrigeration may be arranged,y In this Fig. 2, which is a diagrammatical view of the arrangement of parts, 1 isthe pressure chamber, 2 vacuum or suction chamber, 3 condenser, 4 receiv'er for liquid refrigerant, 5 heat exchanger, 6 evaporator, 7 refrigerat-- ing coils, 8 liquid refrigerant drop former,

.- 9, 10, and 11 control Valves.

The diiferent parts of the apparatus necessary to-carry out my method of refrigeration are conventional vand well known in the arts and may beconstructed and arranged in many different ways. Condenser may be either airor water-cooled. As illustrated,- condenser is equipped with fins 3a for aircooling. Means of producing circulation throughout the apparatus may be as shown, i or any conventional vacuum pump; piston,

rotary, gear or jet pump, may beused. In the illustratlon', I show a common li uid etl pump, with a centrifugal ump 1c driven by motor 1d forcing the liquid through jet nozzle 2a and ejector nozzle 2b, causing a lowering `of the pressure in chamber 2 and a raising of the pressure in chamber 1, due to the accumulation of vapors and liquid drawn in from chamber 2.

Similarly, other parts of the apparatus, as' evaporator, refrigerating coils, heat exchanger, liquid receiver, etc., may be con-d structed in many different forms', and I do not limit myself to any definite form of construct-ion.

Using the arrangement and construction as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2 as an illustration of the operation of my method, it is seen that the action of ump 1c in conjunctionv with the manipulation of control valves 9 and 10 will establish two differential pressure zones. Low pressure zone will'include chamber 2, pipe 6b, evaporator 6, re-

frigerating coil 7, plpe 7a, and inner pipe 5b of hea/ tl exchanger 5. A High pressure zone will include chamber 1, condenser 3, receiver 4, outer shell 5a of heat exchanger 5, pipe 5c up to controlvalve 9 and vpip/ e 1f' up Ito control valve 10.`

This dividing into two pressure zones wil causeV a general clrculation as mdlcated by arrows as follows: Vapors from evaporator 6 through 6b. to chamber 2, and thence through ejector to high pressure vzone in chamber 1. Liquid from evaporator 6 through refrigerating coils 7, inner pipeb i of heat exchanger and 7a to chamber 2, thence together with the vapors from pipe 6b through ejector 2b into high pressurel zone in chamber 1. The proportion of liquids allowed to pass from'evaporator 6 through pipe 7 a to vapors passing from evaporator 6 through pipe 6b is controlled by valve 11 in pipe'7a, so as to maintain a liquid level at 6a. The liquid level at 6a may also be'automatically controlled by a iioat valve.

There is also'a circulation of liquidl from receiver 4 through 4a, 5a, 5c, and valve 9 into liquid refrigerant drop former 8 and finally into evaporator 6. Said drop former may be a funnel-shaped and perforated vessel, through which the liquid 'will pass, forming drops, which pass upwards through liquid in evaporator 6. Also, a circulation of liquid from chamber 1 through pipe 1f and valve 10 into evaporator 6. A The action in evaporator 1 has been de,

at surface (ia. Liquid in receiver 4 is assumed to be liquefied pentane under a. total pressure of 15 pounds absolute in chamber 1. This total pressure is assumed to be made up of 11 pounds on pentane and 3 pounds on water lvapor.

The liquid drop former 8 'into the water, and, as described previously, will expand and vapoi'ize as soon as a point is reached in the upward path where the pressure is low enough to allow such vaporization. Immediately upon vaporization, the space provided will permit the diffusion of water vapor into the vaporized pentane. i y

The resultant mixture of water and pentane vapors .will be drawn through pipe 6b, chamber 2, ejector nozzle 2b, into pressure pentane will now enter through,

chamber 1. In this chamber, the water vapor l vso p The temperature in chamber 1, due to the condensing of the water vapor, will be maintained suiciently high to prevent the condensing of the pentane vapor in this chamber, the cooling, and `liquefying being done in condenser 3. If some water vapor should condense in condenser 3, it will be driven into evaporator ahead of liquid pen.

tane, and will not interfere with the operation.

The cooled water in evaporator 6 is permitted to pass through refrigerating coils 7, and thence back to chamber l.

If a solution of a gas in a liquid is used, as ammonia in water, the action will be similar to the above described. The drops of liquid pentane will form as above in a richsolution in evaporator 6. These drops-will expand into vapor form .when thepoint ofV sufficiently lo-w pressure is reached; and into the spaces or volumes now formed the ammonia will diffuse, with removal of heat and reduction of the temperature and the lowering of concentration of the solution. The mixture of ammonia and pentane vapors will pass through 6b and suction chamber 2 to pressure chamber l. The mixture will meet the Weak solution coming from evaporatorb through 7a, and the ammonia will be reabsorbed by same, the pressure being sufficiently increased to allow this, while the. pentane will liquefy in condenser and collect 1n receiver 4. As the pressure in chamber l is comparatively low, the ammonia vapor can not liquefy, but will remain in vapor form, except that part of this vapor will be absorbed in the weak solution coming through pipe 7a. Batlle plates la inchamber 1 will assist in thoroughly mixing liquid and vapors and cause rapid absorption. Y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of refrigeration wherein a liquefied refrigerating medium is introduced into a solution of a gas absorbed in a liquid, said solution being chemically inert towards said refrigerating medium and substantially immiscible with said refrigerating medium in the liquid state, reducing the pressure on said solution so that the said liquefied refrigerating medium during the passage through said solution will expand and vaporize and p form spaces or volumes of vapor in said solution, separating the absorbed gas from said .solution by the diffusion of said absorbed gas into said spaces or volumes of vaporized refrigerating medium, the vaporization of said .said solution will expandl and vaporize and form spaces or volumes of vapor in said solution, separating the absorbed gas from said solution by the diffusion of said absorbed gas into said spaces or volumes of vaporized refrigerating medium', the vaporization of said liquefied refrigerating medium and the sep- :aration of said absorbed gas from said solu- -tion being accompanied by the absorption of heat, then separating the vapor of said refrigeratmg medium from said gas by condensing sald vaporized refrlgerating medl` um back to liquid state and reabsorbing said gas into said liquid, reforming a solution of thesaid gas in said liquid.

3. A method of refrigeration wherein ay liquefied refrigerating medium is introduced into a solution of a gas absorbed in a liquid, said solution being chemically inert towards said refrigerating medium and immiscible with said refrigerating medium inthe liquid state, reducing the pressure on said' solution so that the said liquefied refrigerating medium will expand and vaporize and form spaces or volumes of vapor in said solution, separating the absorbed gas `from said solution by the diffusion of said absorbed gas into said spaces or volumes of'vaporized refrigerating medium, theseparation of said absorbed gas from said solution being accompanied by the absorption of heat.

4. A method of refrigeration wherein a liquefied refrigeratin g medium is introduced into a solution of a gas absorbed in a liquid, said solution being chemically inert towards said refrigerating medium and immiscible with said refregerating medium in the liquid state, reducing the pressure on saidsolution so that the said liquefied refrigerating medium-will expand and vaporize and form spaces or volumes of vapor in said solution, separating the absorbed gas from said solution by the diffusion of said absorbed gas into said spaces or volumes of vaporized refrigerating medium, the vaporization of .said liquefied refrigerating medium and the separation of said absorbed gas from said solution being accompanied 'by the absorption of heat, then separating the vapor of said refrigerating medium fromsaid gas by condensing said vaporized refrigerating medium back to said liquid, reforming a solution of the said gas in said liquid.

5. A continuous operating method of refrigeration which com rises introducing an.

' 5 inert and immiscible hquid inv a body of a.

liquid refri erating medium, reducing the pressure s cient to vaporize the inert liqu1 d as itl passes through the refrigerating medlum creating spaces in said body of refrigeratl ing medium diffusing vapors of said refrigerating medium into said spaces forming a mi x ture of vapors, increasing the pressure on said mixture of vapors suiicient to liquefy same, separating the two liquids from each other and returning same to point of beginning 3 the circulation being caused by mechanical action. f l

6. Introducing a hydrocarbon li uid into. a vessel containin a concentrated so ution of 2o NH4 OH and H2 ,-lowering the pressure on the solution so as to vaporize the hydrocarbon liquid, as it passes through-the said solution and artiall decom osmg the solution forming ee N s gas resultant absorption of heat.

-7. That improvement in the art of refrigeration wherein a liquefied inert gas is forced through a liquid refrigerating agent to evaporate same formin a mixtureof vapors; `comp1ete1y separating said inert gas' from vapor of said refrigerating agent b condensing both to liquid state, said ormed liquids being immiscible and of diiferent specific gravities and wherein circulation of the mediums is caused by mechanical action'. 8. Method of refrigeration comprising the creation' of spaces of absolute vacuum in relation to al liquid refrigerating medium to cause evaporation of said liquid into said 40 spaces, said spaces of absolute vacuum in relation to the liquid bein causedby ex anding an inert and immisci le auxiliary 'quid into the body of said liquid refrigerating medium, circulation of the mediums being caused by mechanical action.

In testimony whereof, I have hereuntoset my hand at San Diego, California, this 12th day of November, 1929.'

Bo FoLKE RANDEL. 

